In the whole civilized world it is accepted that people do not want to “shine” for several reasons:

• Their business is criminalized (created on the income from criminal business – as a platform for “money laundering”, or created as a result of red tape actions of a responsible person).
• The business owners are afraid of chasing and «milking» by criminals, competitors and officials.
• Social tradition. We are all residents of CIS countries who come from “Soviet Empire”. The USSR was a society and a country with totalitarian system and had its own traditions, hierarchy and self-management system, as well as a rough system of pressing of the “standing out” people who didn’t belong to the list of the “allowed”. In the conditions of that period a ‘«behind-the-scenes» method of solving problems and “invisible” millionaires tradition occurred. It was a closed society; like any other closed society this one didn’t last long after facing with stronger competitors and world power crisis without having a diversified distribution of economic and political risks. But traditions are more inert so being “invisible” and doing business «unofficially» is still accepted as a right way of doing business.

We live in conditions of today’s reality, in globalization environment, international competition in almost all areas and markets. This means that we should take into account efficiency technologies which are used in all countries and particularly in most developed ones. Kazakhstan’s entrance into the WTO and Customs Union push these trends further.

Let us consider the choice of «shining» or «not shining» taking into account today’s reality in the aspect of business development.

Kazakhstan’s entrance to the WTO will open up our country for foreign business.

Because Kazakhstan’s entrance to the WTO envisages not just signature on the paper but amendments to our laws which protect the rights of global competitors and more accessible boards for specialists from developed companies. It will lead to the conditions on which our business will no longer be able to hide behind quotes, non-transparent tenders, “protectors”, i.e. there will no longer be conditions when competition is executed by administrative but not market mechanisms.

But it is also important tо understand that the entrance to the WTO frightens only those who don’t see that this is an opportunity to expand their capabilities, and those who don’t want to change and are focused only at defense. For those who want to increase the profitability of their business and their personal capabilities the WTO provides great opportunities.

For instance, most people are afraid of strong companies to come to the market. It is really looks frightening at first.

In comparison with ours their advertisement budgets, employee payouts, employee quality, management, built-up logistics systems, ‘long money’ can make ones be frightened.

But let us consider their methods of entering unfamiliar and new markets.

They will be maximum pragmatic and economically estimated. In post crisis period most successful businessmen would like to reduce possible risks associated with costs of time, finance and participation in long-term competitive fight. The best way for this is to work with ready resources; to find a strong player in the local market and reinforce his/her (with finance, staff and other resources).

In execution of this strategy an important role will play personal and professional characteristics of the player, i.e. his/her authority, rather than his/her relative or other non-formal contacts. Even his/her finance strength will play less role as the finance will be provided by the reinforcing company.

Based on this prospect «shining» begins to resemble «lighting up your way» or with the help of personal brand opening up new opportunities by using resources of external sources.

Certainly, it is impossible to cover all opportunities provided by effective self-branding in a single article. This is our first attempt to reveal the theme of self-branding.

But together with this brand magazine namely «Sovet Direktorov» we will open the opportunities of self-branding to you and provide good work on reinforcement of your name in forthcoming issues of the magazine.

We will explain in detail how international systems of searching partners and business commissars work, how to become a self-brand with high market value and demand.

Work on increasing of market value of your self-brand, use correct reinforcement of your authority as a tool of achieving success and personal welfare and happiness.

We will always work for your name and authority.

Kazybek Shaikh, General director for “SHAIKH” Creative Solutions Agency”

Kazybek Shaikh. The choice: Not to shine, or to light up a way for oneself.// Совет директоров. May 2010 №4 (48)

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